A Different life
by Happyfish
Summary: A story in which John Smith and Harold Saxon are just two ordinary human beings. Harold, however, often slips into a fantasy world where he's a time lord called The Master and his boyfriend, John, is his arch nemesis, The Doctor. But is it really all fantasy or is it more complicated than that?
1. Chapter 1

A Different Life

Happyfish: I do not own anything.

Chapter one: Set-up

Summary: A story in which John Smith and Harold Saxon are just two ordinary human beings. Harold, however, often slips into a fantasy world where he's a time lord called The Master and his boyfriend, John, is his arch nemesis, The Doctor. But is it really all fantasy or is it more complicated than that?

John had come back home and noticed the state of the apartment that belonged to him and his boyfriend Harold, things were broken and odd bits and bobs of technology were hobbled together.

'He forgot his meds again.' Thought John worriedly, "Harold?"

"Ah my dear _doctor_," sneered the smaller blonde man stalking towards him with the grace of a predator, the look in his eyes was feverish, and a more than a small glint of insanity shining.

John always made sure to have an injectable version of his boyfriend's medication on him at all times, just in case this sort of thing happened. He also noticed the cut on the side of his boyfriend's face, the blood was dripping slowly down the side of his cheek.

"You've hurt yourself again," he replied soothingly.

"Don't play me for a fool _Doctor,_" he hissed, "why have you kept me prisoner, where are we? On your Tardis? Ha! I doubt that I don't feel as if I'm on the cantankerous, crazy old thing. Why have you kidnapped me? It's not your usual way to operate."

"I have not kidnapped you, Harold," John replied slowly edging toward the smaller male and his voice still the same calm, soothing tone, "you just forgot to take your medicine."

"Medicine? What medicine? You mean that stuff that makes me forget who you and I are and makes me into a weak fool," the blonde spat venomously. "and that is not my name Doctor! That was a fake name that I created."

John felt a pang of sorrow in his heart, his dear boyfriend had a very vivid imagination, it made him one of the most popular authors of all time, but it was dangerous as he could slip into this fantasy world, he was in this mode now. It happened if he forgot his meds, this fantasy world was a defense mechanism, one that he had created when he was younger when he had been abused by his father.

'He is fragile, but very beautiful,' thought John.

John wasn't too concerned about his safety, unless Harold had found a screwdriver, which he tensed up a little when Harold whipped out and said, "I don't care either way Doctor, I have my laser screwdriver."

The blonde smirked up at the taller brunette and said, "I have you now Doctor, you know what damage this device can do. What it did to your previous regeneration, the tall skinny brunette."

John had remembered that, his younger brother had known about Harold's occasional fits, but had unfortunately not aware that he was having one when he had come in. His younger brother was fine, he had been frightened and a bit bruised, but other than that fine, when the blonde came to his senses and found out what had happened, he had been upset and very apologetic. His younger brother, Thet, had forgiven him, the blonde had clearly not been himself. When Harold was not in this mode he was a very gentle soul, a touch shy, but a sweet person and as good as he was an author, he was also brilliant at making anything to do with mechanics. Mostly he made mechanical art structures, but he could fix things that got broken and make the better than before.

"Harold," John said, he refused to call him by the name he went by when he was in this delusional state, the psychologists said that to do that would further pull him into the delusions and make it harder to get him out. "put down the screwdriver before you hurt yourself."

John was a black belt in several different martial art forms and was much stronger than the blonde, not just because he was trained in the different martial arts, but because he was larger. Harold's eyes narrowed and then he lunged, John pinned him to the floor and pulled out the syringe with the liquid medicine.

"No!" shouted Harold, "don't you da-"

John pushed the syringe plunger down, it took a few minutes for the medicine to take effect, however his muscles were relaxing and John got off of him and pulled the blonde into a position face-to-face, he pressed his forehead gently against Harold's forehead and then he pulled out the tissue he had put in his pocket and started to wipe the blood off of his cheek. The blonde blinked at looked at him with mild confusion and despair, "It's o.k."

"W-what happened?" asked the blonde somewhat dreading the answer, "You just smashed up the apartment a bit and waved a screwdriver at me."

"I'm sorry," he said feeling bad about what he did, "I forgot my medication, I made a breakthrough on my latest novel and I had more I could write and then… all I remember after that is this."

"It's not your fault," John said soothingly and then he pressed a kiss onto his lips, "I love you Harold."

"I love you John," he replied resting his head against the taller man's chest, "this is why we, or at least I can't have children, what if I have one of my episodes? No… I could endanger them."

"Harold," said John, "you don't remember this but you remember Thet's daughter Susan?"

"Yes," he said, "of course."

"You had an episode once when you were babysitting her," he said. The look of complete terror on Harold's face he was about to speak when John pressed a finger to his lips and continued, "your other self was convinced she was his granddaughter and I her other grandfather, you were gentle and you didn't hurt her. Indeed she had a very fun time, you called me and demanded something or other, but she was perfectly fine."

"Really?" he asked a touch hopefully.

"Yes," John replied, "Would I lie to you?"

"No," answered Harold with a smile, his eyes closed and a tiny smile on his face, "you are one of the most honest people I know."

"Yes," said John softly, Harold didn't see his face, so he did see the slightly guilty look on his face.

'It's for the best,' thought John, 'he's happy, I am happy and we are happy together."

"So how was work?" asked Harold.

John was a physician at a local hospital and sometimes his job was hard and sometimes he had to work overtime, but he always came home, sometimes a little worse for wear.

"It went fine, I was able to go home a little early because it was so quiet and I finished up my paper work," he replied.

"The paper work that you hate to do and avoid like the plague?" asked Harold a little teasingly, before growing a little serious, "It's a good thing that you did come home early, not sure how much more damage I would have done if you hadn't come when you did."

"Hey now," said John a touch scolding in his voice," none of that talk now, it's just stuff that can be replaced."

Harold came from a very wealthy family, he would have taken over his family's company except he was not quiet mentally stable, but with John he was able to retain certain rights and his inheritance was maintained and he was not locked up in a mental hospital or jail.

"I think that since the apartment isn't quite habitable at the moment we should go out to dinner," John said lightly.

Harold tensed a little at that and buried his face in John's chest deeper saying a touch whiny, "I don't want to.'

"Please?" John asked giving the smaller man a pleading look.

Harold peered up at him and noticed the puppy-dog face and he groaned before saying, "fine, where do you want to go? We have to call a clean-up crew first. It's a wonder why our neighbor's haven't called the police yet."

"Lucky for you most of our neighbors are rich people that just rent apartments here and live elsewhere." Replied John amused.

"We could do that," offered Harold, "most of my money is just sitting there acquiring more and more wealth."

"I like working and besides, we chose this apartment because it's perfect for us." Said John.

"That's true." Admitted the blonde, "oh where or what would I be without you? The day you and I met is the first day that I can clearly remember."

"Oh Harry," said John, "that is a sweet thing to say."

"It's true," Harry insisted and then his forehead started to crinkle and he frowned as if trying to remember something.

"I know where we can go, how about that Fish and Chips place that's near the Thames?" said John excitedly, "oooh or that clam chowder by the wharf."

Harold smiled and said with a laugh, "Fish and Chips sounds better then clam chowder right now."

Harold tried to stand up with John but his legs crumpled and he fell against John who caught him and wrapped his long arms around him and looked a little worried. "Ah! My legs aren't working right."

It was a side effect of the injectable medicine, was that Harold was a lot weaker for a little while, John gave Harold a saucy smirk and said, "I could carry you to the car m'dear."

"And you'd trip and fall over your gangly self," he retorted. "Despite all of your prowess in physical combat you can be quite the klutz."

John protested a little and then pouted down at Harold before smirking a little and picking the blonde up saying, "I don't care what you think, I'm carrying you and you can't stop me."

Harold gave token protest before sighing and enjoyed being cuddled and the two of them went in John's blue car, it was an old, tiny car. John didn't remember which company made it, but it was old and could be fussy.

"Come on old girl," murmured John.

"What was that?" asked Harold.

"Oh, just praying that my car will start," he replied smoothly.

"We really should get a new car," said Harold, "Or you could let me help you fix her up since you are so attached to the thing."

"It's my car and I have had it a long time," he started to say.

"Yes, yes and it's one of the only ones left and you won't part with it I know," said Harold.

John had gotten on his cell phone and called the clean-up crew and ordered replacement furniture for all that was broken or damaged. Harold woke up to John shaking him awake gently, the medicine would always make him sleepy.

"We are at the restaurant sleepy head," said John fondly.

While Harold had been asleep he had thought he had been in an old blue police box that was bigger on the inside then it was on the outside, and he had be bound and sleepy and John had hovered over him, seemingly impossibly tall and dangerous and slightly darkly muttered at him, "you are still trouble even when the dosage is right, oh Master why won't you just give in?"

Harold had been a little disorientated and realized that they were in John's old clunker of a car and they were at the restaurant, not spinning though space and time. Some times after the medicine kicked in he would have a mini episode, and it would spook him.

John asked him innocently, "something wrong Harold?"

"No," he replied shaking his head, "just this dream I remembered a snippet of while I was asleep on the way here."

"Anything good?" John asked curious.

"Something that might go well in my latest novel," said Harold.

"Ah yes your latest series in the Travelling Time Lord series." John said, "I liked how you ended the last arch, with the resolution of the Time War and how The Master sacrificed himself to save the Doctor and Earth. Very touching."

Harold did not see the look on his boyfriend's face, it was a look that would seem odd, on his face.

"I remember that book," said Harold, "you cried your eyes out."

"It was very sad!" said John, "you can write so well that it can be considered hypnotic."

"Flatterer," said Harold pleased.

They entered the small place and looked at the menus and ordered and ate, John talking about his day and Harold gave hints about his new book but not telling him more than that.

"Spoiler," he would say when John whined.

Harold had been mid-sentence when he gave a large yawn which he covered and he tried to hid from John before he started blinking, he was so tired. His episode and the medication always made him so sleepy, John found it adorable and said that part of it was that he got so cuddly and clingy.

John noticed and said with a smile after he had gotten off his phone, "they've got everything replaced and we can go home now."

"M'kay." Said Harold, "You sure I didn't do too much while during the fit, normally I'm not this tired after one of my fits."

"They said that you did quite the number on the apartment." Replied John lightly, "also you struggled when I had to catch you."

"Ah," said Harold, "Why would I try and struggle against you? After all you are stronger than I am."

John shrugged his shoulder noncommittally and he paid for their food and they left for home, "You should sleep, I will drive us home."

Normally he would have argued, but since he had, had a fit recently and he was just so _tired_ he didn't argue, Harold just nodded and once they got in and buckled he fell asleep. John looked over at Harold, his large brown eyes soft, sad and held a touch of guilt.

'It's for his own good.' He thought to himself firmly banishing the guilt and the voice that started to say something in his head. 'It's better this way.'

Harold barely moved when John picked him up and carried him to their apartment and used the elevator and put him in bed. He looked so small in their bed, asleep, he looked younger more innocent and smaller, the older man sighed a little and got dressed for bed and changed Harold's clothes as well and crawled into bed and curled around the smaller man and murmured, "you're mine and I won't let you go, not now, not ever, don't worry I will protect you, even if it is from yourself."

He shifted around and turned off the light and curled around the smaller blonde and gave out a small sigh as he fell asleep. Tomorrow was another day and hopefully it would prove more fruitful than this one had turned out to be.

Harold had woken up first, which was odd considering he had an episode yesterday, he had shaken the cruel voice that sometime haunted him. He carefully got out of bed noticing that John must have gotten him in bed clothes, he gave the other a rueful smile noting that he was still asleep. He went to the kitchen and put on the pink and slightly frilly apron on, John had gotten it for him as a joke gift on his birthday, but he had kept it. He kept it because of the sometimes heated looks he would get from his boyfriend that would lead to such _wondrous_ activities that was mutually satisfying for both parties involved. He cooked John's favorite breakfast, fish fingers and banana custard, Harold gave a little disgusted shiver, despite it not tasting to horrid it was something that he didn't like to eat. While he was cooking he was unaware that John had woken up, at first John had been a little worried and then he heard and smelled food being cooked. The tall brunette relaxed as he quietly watched his boyfriend cook, especially since he was only in his boxers, a pair of slippers and that silly apron.

"What's for breakfast?" asked John.

"Oh! You're up," said Harold surprised, "you are getting fish fingers and custard, I am having eggs and hash. I was planning on doing a breakfast in bed sort of thing."

John gave him a slightly lecherous look and said, "Oh, I can think of a few things we can do in bed this morning if you had your heart set on it."

Harold had only the slightest flush on his face and he said, "you have work later today don't you?"

"No," said John, "my boss kicked me out saying that I haven't had a vacation in a while and so it starts today and ends in a couple of weeks."

"Oh," said Harold, "do you want to go somewhere or do a staycation?"

"I think that we should have a staycation, after all you have a deadline in a couple of months for your book," he replied, "besides like having you all to myself."

That got a grin out of the blonde and said, "flirt."

"Guilty as charged," he replied with an easy grin.

They laughed and joked as they ate breakfast, it was a much different atmosphere than last night and it was a lot different than last night, happier and lighter. John still had a voice whispering insidious in his head, saying that he should enjoy the happiness he had, lest it shatter and that what was going on was wrong. He told the voice to shove it and went about his day with the love of his life. The two weeks went by like a happy dream and John went back to work at the hospital while Harold continued on his novel, sometimes it was hard to write sometimes it was easier. He was unaware of the secret that was eating away at John, one that made him feel bad and he was afraid of Harold finding out about it.

"What happens if he realizes his life is a lie?" asked Jack to the Doctor seriously. "Yes, I have met the new Master, excuse me, Harold, and he's not the Master that I met and nearly destroyed the world and the different galaxies… But what happens if he find out the lies you told him?"

"He's not going to find out!" said the Doctor, "especially if you or anyone else doesn't say anything of the like around him. Don't forget, call me John."

Jack quieted down and looked away, he hadn't realized that the Doctor would do such a thing in order to keep the Master. He had a darker side that he had only seen tiny flashes of, but nothing as premeditated as this, the Master was alive, but he was drugged and believed he was human and lived a normal life with the Doctor… It was weird and if the Master ever found out the truth, Harold Saxon would most likely be no more and the repercussion could be devastating, not just for the planet they were on, but for the Doctor as well.

'This regeneration is really something,' thought Jack. 'I hadn't realized there could be such a personality switch… he could be desperate and desperate is never good... or I hadn't known that he had this side to him.'

Harold and been extra careful to take his medicine at the proper times, as the episode the he had, had could have gone a lot worse than it did. Several months later he grabbed the pill and water and then he paused staring at it, he hadn't had an episode in a long while, also a voice inside his head screamed at him, 'don't take that you complete and utter fool! He's tricking you!'

Harold shook his head and took the pill, the screaming inside his head, also the drumming noise that came with that voice went silent. John was running late, it happened on occasion, but when it did, Harold got worried, after an hour he called his cell and got the voice mail.

"Hey, John… Are you alright?" he called, "I-I made dinner and you aren't home yet, I hope you get this message and come home soon… I love you. See you."

When he was late for the second hour he called Jack Harkness, one of John's friends, he got voicemail on his as well. He decided he would go to John's work place, and get some answers, he grabbed his coat, keys and cellphone and he unlocked and opened the door and gasped in shock.

Happyfish: Please review! What do you guys think so far?


	2. Chapter 2

A Different Life

Chapter two: Lies and Hidden Truth

Happyfish: Unfortunately I do not own anything related to doctor who.

Summary: A story in which John Smith and Harold Saxon are just two ordinary human beings, Harold however, often slips into a fantasy world where he's a time lord called The Master and his boyfriend, John, is his arch nemesis, The Doctor. But is it really all fantasy or is it more complicated than that? (DoctorxMaster) and hints of (JackXIanto).

It looked like madness outside, there were people running and screaming and things on fire and people in a military-like outfit. There were also strange ships that did not look like they came from Earthly origin, and they seemed to be shooting at people and things.

"What is going on here?!" he said, it seemed like a scene out of one of his books, and not a good one either. "I must be having a nightmare or-or a hallucination or something. This cannot be real!"

Then he noticed Martha, another one of John's friends, she didn't really like him, but right now she seemed to know what was going on and was directing people. So he went over to where she was and carefully made sure not to get hurt or hurt others in the process and asked her the question he had asked out loud before.

"Invasion," she replied grimly.

"You must be joking!" he cried out with disbelief, "however, is there anything I can do to help?"

"Yes," she said, "go back home and stay safe."

"I am not going to do that!" he said, "What about you and everyone else that are risking their lives? What about John? Where is he?"

"… He is helping Jack and I out with this invasion, Harold, go back to where it is safe, John would not be happy if he knew you were out here and it was so dangerous."

"I do not care!" he replied, "I want to help and what does John have to do with all of this anyway?"

Before she could respond they both saw John, he was commanding people and defending others against the ships and he was doing rather well.

'It seems as if he knows what he is doing,' though Harold in mild shock, 'I have never seen him so commanding…. He doesn't seem worried or anything, it's like he knows what he is doing.'

John had spotted him and strode over and looked down at his smaller boyfriend, he seemed to be in mild shock and he gently grabbed his chin and pressed a kiss to his forehead, then both of his cheeks, chin and then on his mouth.

"Are you alright?" he asked kindly.

"I'm a bit overwhelmed," the blond replied for giving him a few questions of his own, "What is going on and why are people obeying your instructions? How are you so calm? What is going on?"

John gave out a little sigh, before answering, "there is an alien invasion going on, they want Earth for our resource. I, UNIT and Torchwood are defending Earth and making sure that does not happen and making sure that civilians do not get hurt in the process. I am a leader of sorts so that is why people are following me, I have done this before and I know what we are supposed to do, that is why I am so calm."

"Is there anything that I can do to help?" Harold asked.

John gave him a small smile and shook his head slightly, "just go back home and stay safe, love."

Harold gave him a little frown-pout, "but I want to help!"

"You do not have the training to do much help for us at the moment," replied John gently, "the best place would be for you to go back home."

'John does have a point,' he thought, 'I cannot do much, and will most likely be in the way.'

Harold seemed to deflate a little and looked down and to the side before saying, "alright, I go back, you are right after all, I do not have much use in this situation."

John grabbed his chin again and forced him to look up at him and said firmly, but tenderly, "knowing that you are safe gives me peace of mind and helps me focus on the situation at hand. I love you and I want to keep you safe."

"I love you and want to keep you safe to!" he replied.

That just got a smile out of his boyfriend who wrapped his long, gangly limbs around him and pulled him tight against him in a hug.

"Please," said John a note of pleading vulnerability in his voice as he whispered to him, "go home, I need to know that you are safe."

Harold looked up at him and after looking at him for a minute or two and said, "Alright, I go back."

"Thank you," he said with relief.

Somewhat reluctantly he went back to their apartment, once he was sure that John had Martha had turned to more important matters. He didn't open the door, he quietly slipped down an alley and went to help other people to get them to safe places and bind wounds, stuff like that. Some of the things he did, he had no idea how he was able to do them. Harold had not realized just how strong he was, but he chalked it up to adrenaline and stuff like that, he noticed that after several hours he was getting really tired so he went back to his apartment and quietly slipped in. He took a quick shower and changed into bed clothes and tucked his dirty clothes into the washer and started to type on his laptop. Harold still couldn't sleep, not with knowing that John was still out there, fighting, potentially getting hurt. He shook his head, Harold could not think like that as he would run out there again and make sure he was safe. After a while he saved his work and shut his computer down and went to bed forgoing his nightly cleaning routine, still to rattled and sleepy to care about such things and also to worried to remember. Several hours later John came to bed, he had been able to convince the aliens to never try and invade Earth again and the restoration process was almost complete. By tomorrow the whole world might very well think that what had happened was a hoax of some kind.

'Ah the stubbornness of humans,' the doctor thought fondly.

He looked over to see Harold flopped all over their shared bed, for someone so short he seemed to fill up the entire bed. John chuckled and after he got finished with his nightly routine he gently pushed the blond to one side of the bed and got in.

As he did so Harold snuggled against him a happy sigh passing through his lips and John gave him a loving look and murmured, "look whose feeling all cuddly tonight."

'Hopefully by morning he will think what happened last night was a nightmare or something. I will have to find his clothes that he wore and was them or something.' John thought.

He knew that Harold had most likely helped others instead of going back into the apartment, he just had to help and he could not stand just waiting for others to do something while John was in danger of some kind, also Harold's hair was still slightly damp and Jack had reported he had seen Harold rescue a pair of children.

'it's not good that he did not listen to me, but at least he was able to help a few people,' thought John with a slight frown.

The next day John woke up first and gave Harold a chaste kiss and then got up and grabbed the rest of the clothes that needed washing and stuffed them into the washer and turned the machine on after putting the soap in. He wandered over to the kitchen and started the coffee and breakfast, he had work in an hour, but he had time to get there, his work wasn't far… and besides it wasn't like he had any deadlines or had to get there on time. With a Tardis you could go anywhere and any when and still be on time for your afternoon tea. John shook his head, Harold did not know that, so he couldn't think like that, Unit and Torchwood were fun past times to do when he had to be away. The two groups were glad for his help and expertise, also it helped them allow the Master to stay on their planet unmolested. However when they had met the blond, he was entirely different then the Master that they had known and over the course of the two years that they had been there and them watching the Master all the time they had relaxed slightly, he was not the same Time Lord.

"Who knew that anti-psychotics were what he needed," Jack had joked one day, "as well as a story from you."

The Doctor just gave Jack a weak smile, it was better that they did not know that the drug he was giving the Master was more than just an anti-psychotic, although that was part of its function. The guilt was starting to prick the Doctor again before he pushed it down until it was gone again. Harold woke up and wandered over to the kitchen and mumbled a sleepy hello to John and then blinked as if he remembered something, "why didn't you wake me up when you got home after rescuing people? I was worried."

"You were asleep and I did not want to wake you up," he replied. "besides, it's my job as a doctor to save lives."

"No, I mean last night when there was an alien invasion or something like that." He replied with a frown.

John gave out a little sigh, "if the invasion happened don't you think we wouldn't have electricity?"

The T.V. was on and none of the newscasts were talking about the invasion, Harold blinked and then frowned feeling confused. He wandered over to the window and looked down, last night there had been broken street lamps and things, but it looked normal. People were going about their usual business, Harold was starting to feel a little upset and dizzy.

"I could have sworn something bad happened last night," he frowned mumbling and sitting down.

"Perhaps it was just a dream," John offered kindly.

"But you were home late last night," Harold replied. "you did not come home for dinner."

"Yes, and I told you that I might be late, remember?" he lied.

Harold knew that John was lying, but he did not know why he was lying, but he did not call him out on, so he pretended to believe him. John could be terribly overprotective of him, Harold thought it was because John viewed him as fragile or something. Which he was not fragile… just a little unbalanced, Harold was a lot better than he remembered he was. Some of it was someone reminding him to take his pills and him taking them more often. The other one was that John was with him, despite being a person who could bounce off the walls and was highly excitable and sometimes childish. He was a stabilizing influence, and one of the people he was most fond of and Harold gave him a smile.

"Perhaps you are right," he replied softly.

"Of course I'm right," John quipped back with more than just a touch of arrogance1.

Harold gave him a little chuckle, he could be so amusing when he was trying to be serious, and sometimes he did not realize that his arrogance could come through2, even though he meant well enough.

"Here are your meds," said John cheerfully as he brought over breakfast for the two of them.

John had to make sure Harold took them today and for the next weeks and he took them on time, especially with what had happened it might rouse the darker side of him. The side that one of the medications he takes restrains, at least mostly, after a while John had reluctantly left Harold to go to work.

'He seems reluctant to leave for some reason,' thought Harold, 'perhaps it's about what happened last night.'

Harold remembered the cloths that he wore last night and if they were still there and dirty then, he would know that John had been lying about last night. He went to the place where they put dirty clothes and noticed that there was none there. Which was odd since there hand been an almost load ready to go in, he went to their bedroom and saw the clothes neatly put where they were supposed to go.

'Did I do laundry last night?' he wondered confused.

Things were starting to get a little weird so he ignored it, or tried to, he turned on his laptop and looked at where he had left off at on his novel and noted what he had must have written last night. Eventually he had forgotten his suspicion and the lie, after all what harm would it do anyway? After all if it was something truly important John would tell him the truth, that Harold was sure of3. Harold went off to get some exercise and get stuff for lunch and supper, he could not help but to check certain places, because last night in his 'dream' as John called had been destroyed or broken. It looked the same as always, but something in the back of his mind noted that there were just tiny differences, one crack that had been there the day before wasn't there.

He shook his head and thought, 'now you are just being paranoid Harold.'

He ignored the dumb observation as it did not make sense, Harold was not OCD, but he was particular about things and he liked things neat and tidy4. There was nothing else of any real difference and the tiny differences were noted by Harold and then promptly ignored. It was starting to get a little frustrating, he had not realized he had texted all of this in a rant to John. With a jolt when he realized this he tried to delete the text instead of sending it, his boyfriend was a doctor in a hospital he did not need to deal with his neurosis but his finger slipped and it got sent. Not noticing anything or one he nearly bumped into someone and apologized distractedly.

"It's alright Harry," said Jack cheerfully, "something eating at you?"

"Oh, it's just that I feel like I am going crazier than I already am because there are no cracks in certain places where there had been a couple before…" he trailed off and shook his head. "Sorry I'm being weird."

Jack had not realized that this version of the Master could notice such minute differences, and why the doctor had not been bothered by them. Then again, the Doctor could forget or view some of the tiniest details as superfluous at times.

"You are taking a different route than you normally do," replied Jack partially honest, "so of course things seem a little off, you are on a different road."

"Oh, am I?" Harold blinked, that made sense.

Harold looked around and realized that it was true, he then relaxed, 'there everything is normal and fine, nothing's different.'5

Jack asked, "What are you up to Harry?"

"I am going to the store to grab a bite," he replied. "Also since he wasn't home for dinner last night we are going to have that for dinner instead of something that's freshly cooked. Serves him right."

Jack laughed a little at that slightly petulant statement and asked, "hey do you mind having some company?"

"Some company would be nice," replied Harold, "and how many times have I told you to call me Harold, I do not like nicknames."

Jack waved him off saying, "Harry suits you better."

Harold scowled at him a little bit, but Jack's charm and natural cheerfulness had him smiling soon and once the shopping was done they headed to his apartment. Harold blinked as he seemed to remember something and asked, "aren't you supposed to be working?"

"I am working," he protested before half jesting and half serious, "I am a secret agent."

Harold rolled his eyes saying, "whatever you say Jack."

Jack got a text and he was perking up a bit, Harold gave him a smirk and asked slyly, "text from your boy toy Ianto?"

"He is not my boy toy," protested Jack, "however I did get a text from him. He needs help with something."

"I'm fine, you go ahead and keep wooing your coffee boy," said Harold with a wave of his hand.

Jack gave another protest or two before leaving and Harold shook his head slightly and with a chuckle, "Jack you are love struck with him, whether or not you know it, and from what I have heard about him, he likes you back. Maybe."

'I am talking to myself,' he thought, 'that is not a good sign.'

The next few months went by without incident and he had finished his novel and the editing process was going well, there were certain things that he was not very willing to change, while there were other things he did not mind changing as much. John and Harold were watching a movie at home, Harold was absentmindedly tapping his fingers against his thigh, one-two-three-four, over and over again. He did not realize he was tapping out a pattern, but John noticed and started to get tense, Harold noticed and looked at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Could you please stop tapping?" he asked a little on edge, "it's making me nervous."

"Alright," Harold said with a shrug stopping his fingers from tapping, "I did not realize I was doing it, sorry."

"It's alright," said John.

He relaxed and then went back to watching the movie, Harold did not notice that he was watching him out of the corner of his eye.

"Did you take your meds this morning," John asked.

"Yeah," he replied, "I am running low on meds though, I will need to refill them by Monday."

"I will get them for you," replied John.

"Oh, it's alright I can get them," said Harold.

"But I want to get them," said John firmly.

"Alright," he replied with a shrug, Harold thought it was a little weird that John was so insistent, but he did not really question it. The movie was really interesting, after it ended they had a light lunch, they had eaten popcorn during the movie. On Sunday afternoon John had gone into his 'science room' as Harold called it and he mixed certain things together and added something and let it form up and grabbed the medication bottles that held Harold medicine and scrapped the newly made pills in the bottles and put them back to where they had been.

John had, had to add something in more, he needed to up the time schedule on something, the Master was starting to get a little resistant to one of the drugs he had given him. Not too resistant, but enough to make him slightly nervous, one of his plans have to move faster than he had anticipated, but he did not worry too much. Part of one of his plan certain emotional and physically intimate details were being meet consistently. A voice in his head started to nag at him that this wasn't the most moral thing to do.

"Harold," said John, "Do you think that we could talk about having children again? Both of us are financially stable, we have enough room in our apartment for one or two little ones. Our apartment is almost completely child proof... So… what do you think? Also you are a lot better than you were."

Harold thought about what John had said and replied, " I would like to have a child or two, but it's difficult to adopt and they may not view us as acceptable."

"We can try," said John. "how about I make us a cup of tea?"

"Tea sounds lovely thanks," replied Harold as he went back to his laptop and went back to typing out a reply to his editor.

There was a sense of triumph in John, 'he agreed, although he may think we are adopting, we will actually be having a child of both of our genetic heritage… It's an old way to have children, but we do not have the supplies to make a loom, much less the power sources needed.'6

John went back to his science room and grabbed one of the vials of silvery-clear liquid, this one had the least amount of the liquid, about a thumbs worth of it and poured the odorless and tasteless liquid into the tea cup he had grabbed and went over to the kitchen and put on a pot to boil, after it was boiling he put in the tea and tea bags and gave the enhanced tea to Harold and he drank the normal tea. John made sure that Harold drank all of the tea, and he drank all of his, mildly nervous and hiding it, he was also excited.

Happyfish: Thank you for reading and please review!

Master: You better review or else…

Doctor: Do not threaten people! Threatening people is not cool!

Master: I do not care about what is cool versus what is not cool… Besides with your dress sense doctor you should not say about anything being cool or not.

Doctor: Hey! Fezzes and bowties are cool!

Master: *rolls his eyes* No they are not.

Happyfish: Quit arguing you two!

Master: When will I be in this story?

Happyfish: You are in this story, you are Harold.

Master; *grumbles* He's a weak fool who thinks he's human thanks to the doctor's drugs. *looks at the doctor* I cannot believe you would do that.

Doctor: Blame Happyfish! She's writing the story!

Happyfish: It's not my fault that I can see something like this happening.

Doctor: It sounds more like something that the Master would do.

Happyfish: I have a question for my readers, do you guys want some eventual smut?

1 The 11th said something to this effect (I think) and he can be arrogant at times.

2 He isn't the only one!

3 Rule number one: The doctor lies.

4 I have a head cannon where the Master is fastidious about certain things.

5 Oh, if only you knew the truth you poor dear.

6 It's common in fanon as well as I think that is how Jenny was created was by a loom. They still can physically reproduce, but most (time lords and ladies) find that method repulsive and a touch barbaric. (I think, well some of them do.)


End file.
